Your Massena 2002 Bicentennial
|A Brief History of Massena, New York|
Just a mile away, the incredible
force of the St. Lawrence River spins the giant turbines that generate
millions of kilowatts of cheap and clean hydroelectricity each year at
the New York Power Authority’s St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt
Power Project. Built at the same time as the Seaway, the Power Authority
facilities also house a large visitors center with displays on the
history and development of region and the giant hydro facilities.
Massena is also home to major manufacturing plants at Alcoa, Reynolds
Metals and General Motors Power Train. Friendly and accommodating
merchants offer a large variety of shopping opportunities at the St.
Lawrence Centre Mall, an adjoining strip mall, Wal-Mart and BJ’s
Wholesale Club, the nearby Harte-Haven shopping plaza and a host of
specialty shops throughout Massena’s downtown business district.
In 1811, after British General Arthur Wellington defeated the French leading to Napoleon’s demise and exile, Massena residents petitioned to have their town’s name changed to "Jefferson" in honor of popular U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. The request was rejected because another town in New York State already bore the name. Waves of patriotism inspired Massenans to pursue the names "Americus" and "Liberty," but the efforts became mired in a long bureaucratic process and lost all momentum.
At one time, the early white settlers called Massena "the Orphan Town." When formed in 1802, the town included a large block of unofficial survey towns from the St. Lawrence River to present-day Star Lake. Town residents felt Massena had been orphaned after six other towns had been removed from it. The nearby Mohawk Indians called the Massena settlement "Nikentsiake," which meant "where the fish live."
Massena was a lightly-populated "Settlement in the Tall Pines" in the 1800's, but then became St. Lawrence Co.’s industrial center in the 20th century. The Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), Reynolds Metals and General Motors each established plants and thousands of jobs, while utilizing the available low-cost hydropower generated along the Raquette, Grasse and St. Lawrence Rivers. The rechanneling of the St. Lawrence River in the 1950's accommodated the construction of the giant St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Projects.
Among Massena’s most famous visitors have been several U.S. presidents. Among them, Theodore Roosevelt soaked in the "medicinal healing power" of Massena’s sulphur springs. In 1959, Dwight Eisenhower was present for the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the shipping lock named to pay tribute to his leadership in the project. Famous artist Norman Rockwell spent several summers vacationing and painting in the Massena area.
Two memorable events caused by the
"forces of nature" include the sizeable earthquake that caused
an estimated one million dollars in damage in the Massena area in
September 1944, and the January 1998 ice storm that devastated all of
northern New York and parts of southeastern Canada with freezing rain
that lasted for several straight days.